Architects: Sahel AlHiyari Architects
Area: 1,125 m²
Year: 2015
Photography: Pino Musi, Roland Halbe, Sami Haven
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Gaggenau, BASF, Bose, Crestron, Devon & Devon, Euromobil, Gianni Gaiti, Glassline, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, The BILCO Company, thyssenkrupp
Contractor: Ammoun Jordan Construction
Structural Engineering: Asas Engineering Bureau, Ismail Akeel
Electromechanical Engineering: Scope – MEP Design Studio, Suzan Abdel Qader, Danka Tebur
Lead Designer: Sahel AlHiyari
Senior Designer: Christopher Musumano
Design Team: Laith El Essi, Anan Ashour, Hiba Shahzada, Dara Sabri, Dina AlAhmad, Mais Al Azab, Sara Farouki
Construction Supervisor: Laith El Essi
Landscape: Lara Zureikat
City: Amman
Country: Jordan
H Saket House, designed by Sahel AlHiyari Architects in Amman’s Dabouq suburb, integrates architectural design with the natural slope of the landscape. Completed in 2015, the single-family residence forms a rectangular plan around a central courtyard. Part of the structure is elevated to engage with the topography, creating outdoor spaces that embrace natural ventilation. The use of bush-hammered concrete reflects Jordanian architectural traditions, while the overall design enhances the connection between the built environment and the surrounding landscape, focusing on light, air, and nature.
H Saket House, located in the growing Dabouq suburb north of Amman, is surrounded by native oak trees and positioned on a 1,981-square-meter site. The house’s design harmonizes with the sloping terrain, creating a strong interaction between the architecture and the natural environment. The building is organized around a rectangular layout that encloses a central courtyard, with one side anchored to the ground and the other elevated, hovering above the slope.
This design creates an open outdoor room, where the landscape defines one side and the raised roof defines the other. The overall layout allows the house to interact fluidly with the surrounding topography, creating a spatial connection that invites the natural elements into the home. The structure channels prevailing winds through the building, enabling natural ventilation and enhancing the house’s environmental performance.
The architects sought to blend structure, architecture, and materials into a cohesive, unified form. The house’s mass is composed of integrated structural elements, which contribute to a sculptural appearance when combined with the material palette. Bush-hammered concrete emphasizes the house’s solidity, a nod to Jordan’s architectural heritage, where heavy, durable materials like limestone are often featured.
The design takes advantage of Amman’s moderate climate, pushing the primary living spaces towards the outdoors, with the courtyard serving as the focal point for social and communal activities. The smaller interior spaces provide a sense of intimacy, functioning as basic shelters that retreat from the larger outdoor environment.
Although the house’s structural qualities stand out initially, the design ultimately creates a harmonious relationship between the built and unbuilt spaces. Once the immediate impact of the structure fades, attention shifts to the natural elements—light, air, trees—that define the character of the house. These aspects, rather than the structure itself, give the home its true sense of place and life.
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Project Location
Address: Amman, Jordan
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
